


i'm proud of you

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Barista Phil Lester, Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Law Student Dan Howell, Light Angst, M/M, Prompt Fic, University Student Dan Howell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 06:56:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a short drabble in which dan doesnt want to study law and phil doesnt mind





	i'm proud of you

**Author's Note:**

> written for the dnpthegame challenge 6: a 500 word Dan and Phil College AU. went over the wordcount a little, but oh well :)

Phil looks up as the door opens to see his boyfriend, straight out of a lecture, stumble through with his laptop and a stack of books and papers and plop himself down in his usual corner. Phil takes the time to make Dan’s drink while he sets himself up for what looks to be an intense studying session - if by intense you mean scrolling Tumblr and Twitter for two hours while occasionally glancing at his notes.

Bringing over the coffee, Phil can’t help but notice that Dan seems even less enthusiastic about his work than normal. Instead of halfheartedly opening textbooks and hastily typed notes to at least try to learn some of it, Dan’s just staring at his blank laptop screen. Phil is quick to sit in the chair opposite him after setting down the drink.

Dan, however, doesn’t even glance Phil’s way, continuing to stare lifelessly at the screen as if it can tell him anything he needs.

“How were your classes?” Phil asks, because he knows by now that when Dan’s in a mood it’s best to try to get to the root of it before he spirals too far for Phil to able to pull him out.

Dan blinks up at him then, startled out of his daze, and gives a noncommital shrug. “Same as always, I guess.” He sighs, sipping from his likely too-hot drink.

“Yeah? What’s bothering you then?”

Phil’s coworker is glaring at him from behind the counter, but Phil knows that the kid can handle the small handful of people that’ll show up while he’s sat down.

Dan shrugs again. “Nothing. Just… Exams. They’re stressful.”

Phil knows this. Phil also knows Dan doesn’t have any exams for another two weeks, and that Dan will put off thinking about them until the days just prior.

So Phil says, “No, what’s _actually_ bothering you?”

And Dan says, “I don’t want to study Law any more,” which isn’t exactly what Phil was expecting but it isn’t all too surprising, considering just how often Dan complains about his teachers and his coursework and his subjects and his classes and his lectures and just about everything to do with Uni that doesn’t involve him meeting Phil.

Phil can tell Dan isn’t done speaking, so he just moves to sit in the seat beside Dan to give comfort he knows Dan will need.

“I just… I’m only studying Law because it’s what my parents want, really. I listened to what they said about it making me look employable and smart because I had lived 18 years of my life just doing what I was meant to and didn’t know anything better. But I’m my own person, y’know? I can do what I want, and Law isn’t it. But I can’t- I can’t just drop out, what’ll my parents say?” Dan says, and for the most part, it sounds rehearsed, like it’s something he’s been thinking about a lot. Phil knows he probably has. It sounds rehearsed, thought-out, except the end, where Dan is rushing his words and stumbling over them, letting his thoughts spiral down, down, down, until they’re drowned out.

“Dan,” Phil says, and he opens his arms to let his boyfriend cry near-silently onto his shoulder. “Dan, it’s ok, they’ll understand, they just want you to be happy.”

Phil lets Dan cry for a bit, and when his breathing is calm again and he isn’t sniffling into Phil shirt he slowly pulls Dan off his shoulder and drags him into a proper hug, Phil’s face in Dan's hair, lightly kissing the top of his head.

Phil’s voice is muffled by Dan’s curls, but he knows Dan hears him when he says, “I’m proud of you, Dan,” over and over until Dan shuts him up by kissing him.


End file.
